Dressing

Directrice Everdeen

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  I will admit a guilty pleasure: I have really enjoyed the Hunger Games movies (the first two). I found them wildly entertaining, as well as well-acted and well-produced. I would not, however, list them among Good Movies for Clothes (see this post) — except that I was struck by a misshapen sweater vest that … Read more

Casual Friday: That Last Little Thing

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  Casual Friday: Nearly as dependable as the sun rising in the mornings and setting in the evenings! Here I am again at week’s end, with no appointments. If you are interested in this jacket-and-blouse combination in a different color combination, check out this earlier post: Casual Friday: Professorial Tweed. Jacket: JCrew; Blouse: Talbots; Scarf … Read more

An Unexpected Texture

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  Several months ago, I was musing about the revival of crop tops and suggested that they might actually be useful layering pieces.   Please note: You may think this looks like fur, but it’s not. Coat of an unkempt yak? Quite possible. The content is largely wool, with some synthetic fibers mixed in.   … Read more

Now We Are Forty-Six!

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  Today is my birthday and I am 46!   For any younger women reading this blog, let me assure you that good things come with age and that your 40s will be a terrific decade. Just be certain to wear sunblock while you wait for the wisdom and confidence that come with experience.   … Read more

Lament: Skinnies

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  I started drafting this post more than a year ago — long before I launched this blog. My feelings about skinnies are decidedly negative, but I’ve had some difficulty wrestling them into a coherent statement until now. After a year of thinking, here it is: Skinnies are not flattering. Let me explain. I was … Read more

Brace Yourself

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  You know that expression, “the heart wants what it wants” — which people use to justify everything from the purchase of faux fur ear muffs to yachts? Perhaps you need to step back for perspective: It started with a fixation on the over-sized pockets, and grew to encompass the whole dress. You may justifiably … Read more

Directrice on the Half Shell

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  Many people have no trouble finding individual pieces of clothing that they like, but are unsure of what to wear with what [else]. I am planning a series of posts on this question (working title, This Goes with That!™) because there are a number of things to consider: colors (complementary, numbers, and placement), silhouette, … Read more

A Quilted Dress

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  A few years ago I bought a Crewcuts skirt for a friend’s daughter: a quilted, cotton-nylon miniskirt. It was so cute I wanted it for myself, but stopped short of testing the girls’ size 14.     But when you think about it for a minute, a quilted dress is really a padded dress … Read more